Day: July 15, 2009

Mike Birbiglia's brother, Joe, has been an integral part of his comedy career, both behind-the-scenes as a co-writer and also in the stand-up material as "Joe Bags," the comedian's brother who inevitably adds to the mischief. It's nice to see Joe join Mike in this new video to promote the new Comedy Central tour, "I'm in the Future, Also." It's a phrase Birbigs will go to usually once each show once the audience realizes where one of his stories is going. Find tickets to Mike Birbiglia's I'm In The Future Also tour in a city near you. The tour begins Aug. 15 in Newport, R.I. It'll be a nice change of pace back to the road for Mike, who recently wrapped up a successful off-Broadway run of his one-man show, Sleepwalk With Me. Now enjoy this video with Mike and...

For all of the credit/blame that can go to new media social networking of Twitter and Facebook for mobilizing thousands of Dave Chappelle fans within hours to overwhelm the comedian at a free post-midnight show in downtown Portland, Ore., I find it impressive and informative to note that the best audio and video from last night’s event came from the city’s main daily newspaper, The Oregonian. Here is the recap from the alt-weekly Willamette Week, as well as from PDX Pipeline. And here is the Oregonian’s full report this morning, with video. Just to show that Chappelle can still throw a fun, free block party every once in a blue moon, no matter whether he’s in Brooklyn or Portland. He’s going to need a bigger amp! Dave Chappelle at Pioneer...

I know of at least two planned comedy fundraising shows this weekend for the family of the late comedian Cain Lopez, who died last week from cancer at the age of 30. Funeral arrangements for Lopez will be next Monday-Tuesday in Vacaville, Calif. Richard Villa will host a tribute show late Friday, July 17, at the Hollywood Improv on Melrose, with a scheduled lineup that's set to include Joey Medina, Joey Diaz, Jeff Garcia and Willie Barcena. Pepper Belly's in Fairfield, Calif., will go ahead with its already-planned fundraiser as a tribute show on Sunday, July...

I had the rare opportunity to spend a few minutes with Bob Odenkirk and David Cross right after their first new sketch show together at the Just For Laughs Chicago comedy festival. It wasn't quite Mr. Show, but it had that same fun, loose vibe, as Bob & David, with little time to rehearse, put on competing one-man shows (including a Blues Brothers bit, managing to tie in references to both their host city and one of David's comedy nemeses), riffs against the overly corporate nature of their hosts, a funny play on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire called "Cash or Check," a sketch at the "first annual LGBTBBQ barbecue" gone awry, and a comedy club within the show that hosted the likes of John Mulaney, Nick Thune and Team Submarine. Bob & David used local Chicago improvisers from iO, Second City and Annoyance to help fill out their ranks for the sketches. The fans at the Lakeshore Theater loved it all. Backstage, I asked them what most fans want to know. When can we see more of Bob & David on our TVs? They obliged with their thoughts about reuniting onstage, their own instant-review of their show, working with Chicago improvisers, how they're like the new Carol Burnett Show, what they learned from the David's Situation pilot they shot for HBO, what they have tried to pitch to...

While comedians Louis CK and Norm MacDonald continue to wait for word on whether their primetime reality/sitcom hybrids get the greenlight from FX, the cable network has gone ahead and ordered six half-hours this fall for Archer, an animated sitcom with Jon Benjamin in the lead role of spy Sterling Archer. The rest of the voice cast includes SNL alum Chris Parnell, Aisha Tyler, Judy Greer and Jessica Walter. From the official press release: "It clearly fits the FX brand and we believe it will find support from the fans of ‚ÄòIt‚Äôs Always Sunny in Philadelphia,‚Äô" said FX original programming exec veep Nick Grad. (THR; Variety; Broadcasting & Cable) Here's a preview: But that's not all. FX also is continuing to order up additional half-hour comedy projects. So there's still a chance for either and/or both Louis and Norm to get their shots. The latest to hit the net's pilot pipeline: The League, a semi-scripted comedy (a la Curb Your Enthusiasm, in which plot outlines include room for improv) about a group of guys in a fantasy football league, starring Mark Duplass with a cast that includes Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer and Jon Lajoie. The Archer pilot reportedly showed up for FX to watch a month ago, so it looks as though they move pretty quick over there. We could know a lot more about the net's fall/winter primetime comedy...